A Thousand Years (And Then Some)
by star.everlasting
Summary: Snow and Serah's wedding, a thousand years overdue, as their loved ones celebrate the new world, new hopes and dreams, new beginnings, and new futures.


The last scene of Lightning Returns was great, but we never got closure- WHERE WAS THE WEDDING THAT WE'VE WAITED FOR FOR THREE GAMES? While Snerah is not my primary ship and neither of them are my favorite characters, both of them really grew on me in the second and third games, and EVERYONE deserves to be happy after everything they've been through. Here's the fluffy plot bunny that's been bouncing around for a while :) I had a lot of fun imagining everyone's outfits, especially Serah's wedding dress! I went through a few drafts before settling on a design I really loved that also kind of corresponded with the game by basing it on her outfit in the second game. Enjoy the happy ending!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Final Fantasy XIII series.

* * *

 _CRASH!_

The wedding guests all stopped talking mid-sentence as the sound was heard inside the mansion behind them where the wedding party was getting ready. It didn't stop there; a few more crashes were heard, the sound of glass breaking, and then someone screamed. Sighing, Oerba Dia Vanille put her drink down- Hope said it was something called _white wine_ , which tasted like grape juice, and told her not to drink too much of it- and looked apologetically at the person she was talking to while smoothing down her dress. "I'm sorry. I should go see what's going on."

* * *

Noel Kreiss glared at a laughing Serah Farron, who was already dressed in her wedding gown sans veil. Said bride was holding her stomach, supporting herself with her other hand on a dresser next to her.

"It's not funny, Serah!"

She only laughed harder, doubling over in pain and hysterics. Next to her, Lightning was biting her lip as hard as she could, but was failing miserably to hide her amusement. The ex-hunter's bright blue eyes snapped to her, glaring accusingly before she gave up and let out a chuckle, clearing her throat, and then deemed the battle lost. Noel groaned.

"Lightning, not you too!"

The Farron sisters were now holding onto each other for dear life, peals of laughter ringing through the air.

"What's happening?" An accented voice filled the room as the door opened to reveal their coral-haired friend, decked out in a strapless, soft-pink ombre dress that faded into white at the bottom of the chiffon overlay over the white cotton fabric.

"Vanille!" Serah stopped laughing and gasping for breath long enough to greet her. "What brings you here?"

Wordlessly, Vanille stopped aside for the trio to see the trail of ruined flower vases, fallen curtains and curtain rods, and overturned furniture. "It sounded like someone was dying, so I came to check it out."

At that, the sisters again burst into giggles. The redhead looked at the only other person in the room for an answer, and got one when he slowly raised his finger at the cabinet where a gorgeous midnight blue dress was hanging.

"When I agreed to be a 'bridesmaid'," he started, air quoting with his fingers, "I did not agree to wearing a _dress_. That mess you see there is courtesy of your man," Noel now pointed accusingly at Vanille. "When he tried to run me down and make me wear it."

Vanille tried, she tried _so_ hard to keep from laughing, but a small giggle left her lips. With an enormous sigh of exasperation, Noel threw his hands up in the air in defeat. Hope, apparently, had a god-like sense of timing as he strolled casually into the room right at that moment. The hunter briefly wondered whether he had planned to disappear only to lie in wait until this moment to make an entrance.

"I would never," the twenty-seven-year-old said as he grinned, walking to Vanille to give her a quick kiss on the forehead and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Besides, you're walking Serah down the aisle. If you trip in that dress, you'd bring her down with you."

That elicited a whole new round of laughter. Unable to watch anymore, Noel put a hand over his face to wait it out. Hope was the first to recover, not surprisingly.

"Everything's good to go, and Snow is ready when you are," he told the group, winking at Serah. Releasing his hold on Vanille, he walked over to the younger Farron. "Good luck," he teased as he gave her a hug, a smile on his lips before offering his arms to Lightning and his girlfriend, escorting them both out to get ready. Not part of the wedding party, Vanille would have a front-row seat next to Fang, Sazh, Dajh, and Yeul to watch the ceremony. Lightning was going to take care of some last-minute details, and Hope, as Snow's best man, would go back to do a final check on the groom. That gave Noel and Serah a few minutes until they would have to leave the room. After the three of them took their leave, the bride let out a small giggle.

"I'm sorry, Noel," she said, apologetic tone laced with amusement. The brunet shook his head, a smile reluctantly creeping onto his lips. "If it makes you feel better, I wasn't going to make you wear the dress."

A quiet moment passed between the two of them before they simultaneously walked up to one another at the same time, hugging the other person tightly. Months of traveling together, even a journey that happened over a thousand years ago in another lifetime, created an enormously strong bond between them. Noel stepped back to look at his best friend, the one who had died in his arms all those centuries ago. The one who was determined to save the world, no matter the cost, the one who picked up her bowsword and never stopped fighting until the end. Tears began to pool in his bright blue eyes as he looked at her, a bride today, radiant, happy, and _alive_. Serah smiled, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Hey Noel?" the pink-haired girl started softly, resisting the urge to cry. Noel cleared his throat.

"Yeah?"

There was a small pause. "Thank you."

A heartbeat passed, and the two of them laughed quietly, giving each other one more hug. Pulling back, Noel fixed a strand of her hair. "Let's get you married."

"Stop fidgeting," Hope whispered to Snow, who was balling his gloved hands into fists nervously.

"Can't help it," the blond gritted back. There was a gnawing in his stomach that he couldn't get rid of. The younger man next to him almost burst out laughing.

"Never pegged you for the nervous type, Snow."

The groom whipped his head to the side to look at his best man, long blond hair flying behind him. He had it cut to match the look he had while he was traveling through time before becoming Lord Patron of Yusnaan, which was a hell of a lot better-looking (not to mention shorter. Fang had given him grief about his lady-hair for _days_ ). Hope nearly snorted at the expression Snow had on his face.

"I'm not nervous," he grumbled, forcing his hands to relax. The soft music started up, causing his breath to hitch and his entire body to tense. It was finally starting. Snow's eyes caught Sazh's in the front row, who was mouthing 'relax' to him before flashing him a smile and a thumbs up.

Lightning came down the aisle gracefully in her bridesmaid dress, a peach one-shouldered dress that wrapped around her lithe form from her right shoulder, the long skirt a hi-lo, ending mid-thigh on the right side and trailing to the floor on the left, a bouquet of pink carnelians in her hands. She took her spot next to the altar, looking to the back as everyone stood for the bride- and there she was.

Noel, who was not in a dark blue dress but a nice black-and-white tuxedo sans bowtie, walked down the petal-covered aisle slowly with the bride on his arm.

Serah looked absolutely stunning; Snow's jaw immediately dropped to the ground. The poor guy didn't stand a chance.

She was in a beautiful strapless white dress that stopped right above her knees, a dress that paid homage to the one Lightning had given to her when she started her journey all those years ago, and had it recreated to the best of her memory. It was form-fitting, the bottom most layer made of white satin. Crisscrossing straps woven with jewels circled her form, from right underneath her bust all the way to the back and on the sides of her torso. Her sides were cut out underneath the straps at her waist, coming back together a few inches down. The center piece connecting her top and straps was also white satin, with an open-cut chiffon overlay on both sides that started right underneath the cut-waist down to just a couple of inches past her dress' satin hem. Her hair was pulled into a braid and pinned into an updo with the remainder of her hair in a bun hidden underneath the braid. A sparkling hairpiece was tucked on top of the braid, where a short veil fell down to her mid-back. There was a bouquet of pink carnelians and white roses in her right hand.

She and Noel stopped right in front of the altar where Snow was waiting, a gobsmacked expression still on his face. Noel took Serah's hand from where it clung to his arm into his hands, pulling his best friend into a hug and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead before handing her over to Snow. The hero's blue eyes were wide with adoration for his bride as he took her hands, causing Serah to giggle softly. Gadot (and Lightning would never understand why Serah and Snow would _ever_ ask him), who was officiating the ceremony, legally licensed and all, cleared his throat.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Snow Villiers and Serah Farron in holy matrimony. If any of you present today are opposed to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The ceremony went on without incident, however, save for Snow and Serah both crying as they exchanged their vows. After all they had been through- separation, l'Cie, fal'Cie, even death- this moment was the one they waited for over a thousand years since they were two hard-headed, foolish kids in Bodhum, living on Cocoon, and hopelessly in love. It may have been a trick of the light, but Hope could _swear_ that when he took his eyes off the couple in front of him for just a moment, he saw tears in Lightning's eyes. As if confirming his suspicions, she glared at him and motioned to her hidden fist, sending a silent message to him- _tell_ anyone _about this, Hope Estheim, and I_ will _kill you._ Her adoptive little brother only grinned in response.

Hope handed the rings to Snow right on cue, and as the two slid the rings on their betrothed's fingers, Gadot laughed.

"You can kiss the bride now, boss!"

Lightning was _so_ going to murder him. Laughing, Snow and Serah leaned in, one of Snow's hands gently cradling her face and his other arm around her waist, and kissed, short and sweet, but also filled with passion. There were cheers and clapping all around, with Lebreau Maqui, Yuj, and Vanille jumping out of their chairs in excitement. Gadot cleared his throat again a smile on his face.

"May I present for the first time, Mr. Snow Villiers and Mrs. Serah Farron-Villiers!"

The bonfire blazed high into the night sky as the residents of New New Bodhum (so dubbed by the members of NORA) celebrated in the town square, which was just a few minutes' walk from the ocean. Lightning sipped her drink from her place beside the fire, watching her sister and new brother-in-law make their rounds, dancing, greeting people, and having fun.

"What's the matter, Lightning? You're not going to dance either?" Fang's accented lilt said teasingly, the Oerban sitting down next to her friend with another cup in her hand.

"What, Lightning? Have fun?" Sazh joked, sitting down next to Fang. The pink-haired woman scowled at both of them as they chuckled.

"Where are the kids?" She asked, (not-so) subtly attempting to change the subject. Sazh pointed to Serah and Snow before Fang lightly smacked his arm.

"She means Hope and Vanille, old man."

The pilot grinned, sheepishly rubbing the back of his afro and starting his search anew. His eyes surveyed the area, finding Noel and Yeul on the dancefloor before they landed on Hope and Vanille, the pair of them standing some ways away from the bonfire with Hope's arms around Vanille's waist, who was leaning comfortably into him. Vanille said something, making him grin in response and kiss her temple before setting his drink down. The redhead then stepped from his embrace, grabbing his hand as she led him, running and laughing, toward the direction of the beach. Fang must have seen the same thing, because she growled and was about to jump up to follow them and give them a _long_ lecture until Lightning put a hand on her shoulder. Sighing exasperatedly, the Oerban took a swig of her drink in full mother hen sulk mode.

"Sis?" Serah's voice broke through their thoughts. The newlyweds approached as Lightning stood up, putting her drink down. The younger Farron stepped back, giving her husband and her sister some space. Snow walked up to her then, an almost hesitant look across his features. Amused, Lightning put a hand on her hip, waiting for him to speak. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out.

"What, the hero is speechless?!" Sazh teased from the side, roaring with laughter. Fang snorted into her drink. After a few moments of attempting to speak, Snow took a breath and relaxed, surprising them all. A calm expression then appeared on his face as he looked Lightning square in the eyes.

"Thank you, sis."

The older Farron, for some reason, felt tears prick the back of her eyes before pulling her lips back into a smile.

"Welcome to the family," she finally said, Snow letting out a half-sigh, half-laugh of relief as everyone around them laughed outright. He gave her a hug- possibly for the first time in the thousand years that he's known her, and then stepped back to let his bride speak to her sister.

Serah approached her then, grinning up at Lightning. The two sisters stood there for a moment before putting their arms around one another, holding onto each other tightly.

"I love you, sis," Serah said softly.

Lightning held her sister together, her mind pulling images of Serah all through her life into her mind, the images of her journey as a l'Cie trying to save her sister, the eternity in Valhalla and then some watching over her sister, and the thirteen days at the end of the world fighting for her sister.

"I love you."

They pulled back, tears sparkling in Serah's eyes. Claire Farron gently brushed her sister's bangs behind her ear, smiling. "Congratulations."


End file.
